Posted on 11/04/2017 12:24:50 PM PDT by Salvation
Question: Are the saints in heaven active in the affairs of Earth? — Robert Bonsignore, Brooklyn, New York
Answer: Yes, we have a lot of evidence for that. But exactly how and to what extent they are aware and active is not fully known to us.
It seems unlikely that the saints can merely look down and watch us as though they were watching a movie, or that they can know our inmost thoughts. Such things are probably beyond their capacity and might even be considered intrusive of our privacy.
It seems safer to assume that the saints are aware of our needs and condition to the degree that God reveals this to them. Thus, if I am asking St. Anthony to pray for me, his capacity to hear my request is facilitated by the Lord and due to the membership both St. Anthony and I have in the Body of Christ. By analogy, the two members of my body that I call my hands can interact by the fact they are coordinated through my head. Jesus is the Head of the Body, the Church and everything in his Body is under his authority and coordinated by him, including the awareness and communion of various members of the body with each other.
“Which seminaries do you respect ?
Ones that focus on teaching the Scriptures - every book and every verse
Ones that teach how to study the Scriptures
Ones that teach how to Communicate the Scriptures
Ones that teach study of the actual manuscripts in original languages
Ones that have a close study of systematic theology and the history of doctrine
Ones that include church history from original sources
Etc.
Can you name three such seminaries ?
I think on this we'd agree based on your claim to be a "life long protestant" and that Islam is the true enemy of the church and not Satan.
Oh yeah, I've got a bunch of degrees in theology (including earned Ph.D.), and I was a missionary, and have taught and written extensively on theological subjects. But I have little interest in what I consider "peripheral" theological questions.
To which no proof has been offered other than your claim....just one book title....just one.
My concern regarding the issue of praying to the saints is that we must not attribute divine attributes to a man or woman.
You've just disagreed with Roman Catholicism over Mary.
That is, we must not "pray to" Mary or a saint as if they were capable of directly answering our prayers.
You've disagreed with Roman Catholicism again over this issue.
Petitions directed to Mary or the saints are only intended to request that they communicate our requests to God, who alone can answer them.
You again disagree with Roman Catholicism. Have you not read the 15 Promises of the Rosary in your alledged phd studies?
As a Protestant I do not pray to Mary or the saints, based upon the verse: "There is one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." Thus, Jesus is my Mediator. However, I understand that Catholics consider Mary and the saints to be "mediators" - as in small "m" - not the Mediator, Christ Jesus.
I think you just lost the Roman Catholic vote.
So, you don’t believe anything that was believed or written after 100Ad, but you believe in a church that was founded 1500 years after that? Makes perfect sense!
There were some who didn’t believe his body and blood were real food and real drink.
In verse 55 Jesus elaborates on this statement that his flesh is food and his blood is drink, he says so boldly “55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” Jesus stresses to the Jews that his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink, and to remain, or a better translation is to abide, in him they have to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Again for the third time Jesus makes a reference to literal bread, the Manna from heaven, in verse 58. Verse 60 strongly supports that Jesus wasn’t talking figuratively or symbolically because after hearing this, the disciples told Jesus “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” if the disciples understood this teaching as merely symbolic, why would it be such a hard teaching to accept? After Jesus says this, the disciples in verse 61 were grumbling again and Jesus doesn’t say “don’t you know I meant it symbolically”, instead he says “Does this offend you?” Jesus asks a bold question and then he relates their disbelief with his ascending back to heaven (a sign one can see with his eyes), and he goes on to say that the spirit gives life (God’s spirit and divine revelation) but the flesh (their human reasoning) counts for nothing.
After this teaching by Jesus that he is truly the bread of life and that his disciples will have to eat his body and drink his blood, verse 66 says that “many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” Now let’s review what has taken place, up until this point thousands of Jew’s were following Jesus, they left their former lives in their Jewish communities (who shunned and despised the followers of Jesus) to follow the Messiah. After this teaching that you have to eat his flesh and drink his blood the multitudes dispersed and no longer followed him. These former followers of Jesus had to re-incorporate themselves into their former Jewish communities who by this time considered them outcasts and rebels.
If Jesus meant the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood to be figurative then why would the thousands of his followers who faithfully followed him up to this point abruptly disperse and no longer follow him? Jesus would have been morally obligated as a teacher and their Shepard to explain that this teaching is only symbolic. But does Jesus do that? In the next verse, 67, Jesus turns to the apostles and asks the twelve if they would like to leave him too; there is no reasoning away or explanation otherwise; Jesus sticks to his teaching. Peter replies in verse 68 “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” The apostles can’t comprehend what Jesus means but they have faith in him and they believe he will give them the grace to accept and carry out his words.
He told them to leave! I already know that this part of the NT is part of the scripture that you don’t believe. Go bother someone else, I just got back from Mass tonight.
For the record, I was born into a Baptist family, and honestly had no idea that when we received communion that they didn’t believe it was ‘body and blood’, I did because it was scripture and they even said the usual ‘this is my body’ during the communion. When a Catholic friend told me they didn’t believe it I was astounded, and is one of the things that led me away from the protestant church.
“In addition, Catholics have a fuller understanding of the “communion of the saints” which allows for such communications (though being careful to avoid any occultic communications). ”
You assert two things...
That communion of the saints means saints can hear you at all and that the Bible teaches prayer to the saints. Evidence?
That occultic influence is carefully avoided. How do you know this? Evidence?
For a highly educated woman, you assert a lot without facts, evidence or logic to support your assertions.
In other words, opinions.
Ones that focus on teaching the Scriptures - every book and every verse
Ones that teach how to study the Scriptures
Ones that teach how to Communicate the Scriptures
Ones that teach study of the actual manuscripts in original languages
Ones that have a close study of systematic theology and the history of doctrine
Ones that include church history from original sources
No...
Jas_2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
I accept one as a Christian who confesses Jesus is his/her Lord...
I do not however accept a false religion that teaches that one must eat a wafer to gain salvation...
Why didn't He chase the young ruler down and correct Him? Or any of the ones who rejected His teachings?
Of course I could. And of course you can find them as well... or at least evaluate those you examine.
Hey, I’ve shown Notre Dame doesn’t fit those requirements.
Really??? The Catholic religion teaches muzlims are their brothers, far more so than any Protestant organization...Where did you say you got your degrees from???
The Catholic religion teaches that you Protestants have divided the Body of Christ...Odd bedfellows you're hanging with...
But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who,
professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God,
who on the last day will judge mankind.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
Why didn’t He chase the young ruler down and correct Him? Or any of the ones who rejected His teachings?
He let them leave. Doesn’t that tell you something? The Apostles didn’t leave. Infer whatever you want from that. I don’t converse with you. You get on every Catholic related thread and run down the Church.
Easily proven to be a false statement.
I’d be amazed that much of this thread concerns one poster’s education, a question that doesn’t affect the original subject of this thread.
Are you people still here? Don’t you have anything better to do? Get a life!
Waiting on you to give the title of just one of the books you claim to have authored. Meanwhile watching Bama-LSU.
Just. One. Title. Of a book you claim to have offered.
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